The Rise and Fall of Rawkus Records (Documentary)

[@PeacePeaceGawd]

Thanks for making this. Being apart of the Rawkus 50 felt like such an honor at the time, but left such a sour taste in my spirit being the 2nd Label I released my solo emcee album that literally went bankrupt 3 months after dropping the album. now the whole world is a digital campaign and i'm rebelling it so hard haha.

[@joeball13]

What was the album called or what is your rap name

[@BogodileMotlhabane]

Rawkus saved me during my university years. All the Soundbooming and Lyricist Lounge LPs were frequent in my radio. then Mos & Talib & Hi-Tek came in and they killed it!!! Rawkus gave us a chance to enjoy underground hip hop at great quality while hip hop was too mainstream. They really had a great run.Thanks for the doccie.

[@pastense]

No mention of the WORLD FAMOUS BEATJUNKIES??? SB2 is arguably the greatest mixtape ever made by the gods of turntablism!

[@BrotherApexx]

Fact!

[@deejaybless2298]

they laced those intros babu and JRocc

[@richardtessari3627]

💯%

[@NDNRNR]

BIG FACTS

[@repetedreiundzwanzig3010]

Word!💚

[@shinbakihanma2749]

I have fond memories of when I first kopped Soundbombing 2, Train of Thought, Lyricist Lounge Vol.1, Internal Affairs, Black on Both Sides, etc. I pretty much owned every notable Rawkus release.

[@onedae]

Blessed to have been featured on this label (Rawkus 50 - Bekays album). Soundbombin was dope! Funcrusher was classic, still got the vinyl! Miss those days. The golden era!

[@DefGoldbloom]

Dope!!!!

[@GOAT-HRDRZ]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@Jimmy1982Playlists]

Totally forgot Robert Murdoch's son helped start Rawkus... 🤦‍♂️ Best thing to ever be associated with _that_ family! lol The Black Star, Black On Both Sides, Internal Affairs and Train Of Thought albums were all huge for me back in the day and still are.

[@shinbakihanma2749]

You mean Rupert Murdoch.

[@radioseppe]

Just spinned black on both sides thru while celaning the house, still fokken tight

[@silewis9396]

All great bodies of work indeed. What a time to be alive

[@smellymala3103]

Damn does the devil touch every single thing

[@remi2206]

Yooo i agree those albums were classics

[@HeatLedgerKicks]

yo so in grade 5 i went to sam the record man with my mom in toronto i remmeber the big RAWKUS RECORDS sign they had in there. bought BLACK ON BOTH SIDES by the legendary mos def - this was my first hip hop album, the employee recommended it to me

[@floetry1111]

Thanks for putting this together, everyone from my time loved Rawkus

[@DefGoldbloom]

Thanks for watching!

[@MrCorykjr]

I bought the Mos Def album by accident. I was in a Sam Goode in Daly City that was about to close down and they only had Black on Both Sides left. I had never heard of Mos, so I reluctantly bought it. I ended listening to the album for 4 months straight until the tape popped! Soundbombing II is another I listened to like that.

[@bxcellent_87]

This lable isn't discussed enough... I loved everything off of Rawkus, I even got to tour their HQ near union square. I truly miss the late 90s- early 00's, great years for underground Hip hop 💯✊🏾

[@zay_thegentleman288]

Funcrusher Plus and We are Black Star legit changed my life when I discovered them. Rawkus' sound is forever immortalized 💯🤞

[@chooton5113]

Totally agree we must have tastes lol can’t touch funcrusher plus

[@jayburnell128]

Definitely

[@AF-Twice]

Mid 80s through mid 90s was the renaissance era of Hip Hop Culture.

[@Anyextee]

☝️

[@superchill4795]

We need another era of this

[@brigandpatrolworllvideos9]

I could see it making a swing back to this style again, only because most everything works in cycles.

[@djwreck1200]

i was lucky enough to have gotten into radio right when rawkus popped off. i would stop by the office in LA and go home with boxes of all kinds of promo items, merch and vinyl. it is sad how it all ended but left an amazing legacy!

[@DefGoldbloom]

Dope!!

[@hawaiilife8084]

Cool story! LA tho? Rawkus was pure NY hiphop

[@djwreck1200]

@@hawaiilife8084 yeah it was but rawkus had an LA office to get the product out to djs and took artists to radio out here as well. friday nite flavas, the wake up show etc.

[@CityOTroy]

Dope video as always! I think a video on Stones Throw or Nature Sounds would be cool to look into. Keep up the great work

[@DefGoldbloom]

Dope ideas!

[@simpleetfunky7062]

@@DefGoldbloom bobbito fondle em records and loud records

[@germwarfare5707]

No doubt. I used to be signed to Nature Sounds 💯

[@johnconnor210]

great vid. I was a teenager during the rawkus era. seeing this takes me back to a great time in my life. the rawkus era was a special time in hip hop. it was an answer to the jiggy and bling bling era of the mainstream. if things would of worked out I think rawkus would of penetrated the mainstream hip hop world but I guess will never know. but the best albums for me were 1. mos def black on both sides 2. blackstar 3. pharoahe monch eternal affairs 4. reflection internal train of thought.

[@dc9856]

Well put together dude. Ye are getting rarer these days on KZbin(or is it only me who's got some crazy algorithm running). I really enjoyed that.thank you

[@DefGoldbloom]

Thanks for watching!

[@ByDobson]

One of the greatest label runs ever, especially from 97 to 03, my fav either gotta be Funcrusher Plus or Black Star

[@wallydavisjr]

Funcrusher plus is a lost classic.

[@EmceeGraffiti]

Over the last few days I’ve binged your channel. Thank you for doing it. Dope work g!

[@DefGoldbloom]

Peace thank you!!

[@tallski21]

The High and Mighty album was one of my favorites. Such a good catalog from Rawkus

[@robertsalinas5375]

Def Goldbloom We need to Link Up, I enjoyed your breakdown on this

[@JaapvanderDoelen]

"In the mid 90s as mainstream hip-hop started to veer more into the territory of shiny suits and champagne, a small record label named Nervous Records struck gold with the releases of Black Moons 'Enta Da Stage'..." That album was released in 1993. The so-called 'Shiny Suit era' wouldn't pop off until 1997, late 96 perhaps. This is conflating the timeline to a degree that misrepresents Black Moon's contemporaries and rap history. They came up in a scene dominated by acts like Gang Starr, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Showbiz & AG, A Tribe Called Quest, to name a few, and along Wu-Tang's first forays as a group. Meanwhile, this video is making it sound like Black Moon were competing with Mase's 'Harlem World'.

[@TheJofrica]

Black Moon and Boot Camp Clik were way too entrenched deep in the underground. Not many heads knew about them. Still that way to this day actually I think. Personally one of my favorite rap collectives.

[@dannnnydannnn5201]

@@TheJofrica huh? I think you’re confused bro… black moon and smiff n wessun honestly defined the east coast sound when they came out. Yes, almost twenty years later they seem like they could be underground groups that never got their proper shine but you would be sorely mistaken. Everybody that was a part of the hip hop movement knows about black moon and smiff n wessun.

[@TheJofrica]

@@dannnnydannnn5201 Not out on the west coast. I used to bump them and everyone would be like “who is this?”

[@spek-27]

Yeah, the comparison of Nervous' Black Moon / Smif N Wessun era to the mainstream shiny suit era isn't accurate at all. The Rawkus / Fat Beats / Fondle 'Em / underground scene were the ones going up against the shiny suit era. That was the whole reason that Rawkus blew up.

[@yankees29]

I had the Buck Em Down 12 inch. Love that cover art.

[@adammarsh956]

Thanks to you, The Company Man & Digging The Greats for keeping hip hop culture alive on KZbin 🙏

[@apoupoupoupou]

i'm so happy i found this video and this Channel, thank you it's what i've been missing on youtube

[@DefGoldbloom]

Thank you for watching! Much more coming

[@sylvesterwebbjr.5165]

I just want to say, THANK YOU

[@simpleetfunky7062]

Cooooooool !!!!!!! My favorite rawkus's album is company flow funcrusher plus !!!!

[@nathanlovesspaceships9742]

Loving your content. Totally bringing me back to when i was mad hungry and getting to open for some of the acts mentioned here. I trully miss those days.

[@bigvinny8806]

Bro, Talib Kweli just posted a clip from your video on his IG page. You’re getting popular man, as you deserve!

[@DefGoldbloom]

HOLY SHIT

[@bobbydee30g]

This was a great era in hip hop to live through. You really had to be there. I'm sad my kids will never experience an era like this.

[@gahd]

Thanks for the memroies of my my school days in Portland, OR🤜🤛

[@nelo1285]

This was an incredible time in hip hop history! Thank you for this! 🙌🏼

[@trentyates418]

Rawkus had the dopest music ever, from black star to Monch and to common, the albums and songs they put out on Rawkus are classics. And that’s what Rawkus will 4ever be known for, classics.

[@MegaVern1]

I remember this movement! Loved Rawkus! I’m glad I was there to experience this time.

[@themostsecretscience6409]

My favorite label in high school. I bought everything they put out.

[@BrotherApexx]

Aw, man, this brings back some good memories. SB II is a golden age classic. RIP Rawkus. Long live Rawkus Records.

[@gabehinterman9142]

Good stuff man, I always wondered what happened. Truly legendary time for Hip Hop.

[@wordsworth41]

Great job! This was a trip down high school and college memory lane for me.

[@NahMyself]

Great breakdown! I had no idea about the 50 albums that dropped for the anniversary. I’m going to check to see if any are a good listen.

[@HealthierLifestyleRob]

Dope documentary! My favorite album from Rawkus is Mos Def's Black on Both Sides.

[@brewsreviewship-hophops5981]

Great video man! It's like a mini documentary. Your production value is gettin really good

[@DefGoldbloom]

I really appreciate that thank you!

[@maxwellfletcher-beiers4330]

Your videos are always so interesting. Always putting me on to new shit

[@DefGoldbloom]

Thanks for watching 🙏

[@big-ice-doggie-tron879]

when the first "soundbombing" released, i was ecstatic! being a 15yr old from rural wisconsin, it was difficult for me to directly access good indie hip-hop. "RAWKUS" projects were often available at the nearest "best buy" (roughly 60mi away). the massive role which "RAWKUS" played in my musical history can not be overstated! THANK YOU "RAWKUS" & "DEF JUX" FOR EVERYTHING Y'ALL DID (including supplying top-tier hip-hop to folks not living in urban areas!) FOR OUR CULTURE!!!

[@GOAT-HRDRZ]

We found a dubbed tape of Soundbombing 1 at Burnside skatepark in Portland OR late 1997. It blew our minds. It took me from a Hip-hop fan to a underground Hip-hop fiend.

[@afrodysiac105]

@@GOAT-HRDRZ Fortified Live and 2000 seasons are joints are still play tell this day HI Tek is magical

[@firelioness363]

I lived that era...1994 thru 2009....then you literally had to go deep underground...to look for that energy....it was a privilege...

[@oldmanpete35]

Great video. Brought back a lot of memories.

[@Anyextee]

Dope doc! Thank you. Waiting for someone to do the Amalgam Digital documentary…first digital albums in hiphop history, first live web streams in hiphop history, first genre specific digital retail store in Hiphop history, first to create a video trailer on KZbin to promote an album which soon became an industry standard. Not to mention the label ranging from The Juggaknots, Kurious, Proof of D12, Tash of the Alkaholiks, Peedi Crakk, to Joe Budden, Max B, Curren$y, Saigon, Chuuwee, Copywrite and more. That is a documentary waiting to happen. A story about a pioneering Hip Hop label that embodied the spirit of independence. Not one built on rich uncle fat pockets privilege.

[@DefGoldbloom]

Dope idea!!

[@sea4our]

you just took me on a journey that 14 year old me really appreciates. i used to listen to the first lyricist lounge and soundbombing tapes religiously while sneaking out to paint graffiti my freshman year of highschool around 2000.

[@DefGoldbloom]

Dope!!

[@illFigure90]

Fire as always! Dope video and great to learn more about Rawkus

[@jhnmcb301]

I still listen to alot of these albums today

[@Shlogger]

crazy to see so many of those albums laid out like that in a row. It really was a golden time for hip hop. So creative and fun. I had like 98 percent of the first ones you listed back in the day. I was a hip hop fiend. Just grabbing them all up. Along with Def Jux, and Loud on the East and all that West Coast underground scene as well. But Rawkus was definitely something special as far as a label. Represented the culture as well as anything that's ever been. They had a magnificent run. Good stuff.

[@Slopfunkdust]

I was the A&R director for the Rawkus 50.

[@DefGoldbloom]

Dope!!

[@MegaVern1]

El-P let us all know how he felt about Rawkus! Lol! That line he said on the Fantastic Damage track was crazy!

[@vesuvianvillain]

“Signed to Rawkus?? I’d rather be mouth-fucked by nazis unconscious!!” El-P Deep Space 9mm

[@jamiebrown4120]

I'd rather be mouth fucked by nazis on conscience

[@khambrelgreen]

I found this video to be highly informative so I want to thank you for the hard work and research that you did to create this. I wish you continued success and you and your family remain healthy

[@DefGoldbloom]

Thank you! Likewise to you and yours as well

[@mr.blonde1709]

Sound bombing 2 got me hooked on the genre way back when. this was dope homie, I'm subbed.

[@DefGoldbloom]

Thanks!

[@ibanmartinez614]

Sound bombing 2 and sway and king tech feat dj revolution...changed my life...that and beat junkies vol.3..were the definition of hip hop to me...glad I got to enjoy it..

[@GOAT-HRDRZ]

DJ Rectangle with the dope anime album covers. That was the first Mush-ups I ever heard.

[@godbodyrock]

Outstanding Content Sir..this was a banger!!!!

[@DefGoldbloom]

Thank you!!

[@TheDundeal]

So classic...rawkus era was so ill. High school was so ill

[@anthonywilliams9415]

Fantastic video!! Favorite Rawkus release..... probably Soundbombing 2. Internal Affairs was classic also. It was plenty of heat in their hay day.

[@kyleamaral6809]

Absolutely loved Rawkus! Tho, there were other labels like Anticon, Rhymesayers, Psychological, ABB, Ill Boogie, Brick Records, Groove Attack, Bronx Science, Solesides/Quannum Projects, etc. Nobody was fuckin' wit Rawkus. The closest fans got to this being replicated was when artists left Rawkus and did their own thing. EL-P's Def Jux and High & Mighty's Eastern Conference Records. As far as the roster goes too. Rawkus also had Mad Skillz, Shabaam Sahdeeq, R.A., Smut Peddlers (High & Mighty w/Cage), Da Beatminerz & Kidz in the Hall. It's probably the last great label/era of hip hop. That should never be forgotten.

[@DefGoldbloom]

Def Jux was the inspiration for my name!

[@kyleamaral6809]

@@DefGoldbloom No doubt. I thought it was just literally a play on Jeff Goldblum lol

[@ventarfield7115]

This guy knows what's up.

[@nebdar]

The nostalgia that hit reading this. Battle Axe and Celestial records had dope releases too Supernatural, Planet Asia, Pep Love, Freestyle Fellowship, Phoenix Orion etc

[@kyleamaral6809]

@@nebdar Was a huge Phoenix Orion fan. Zimulated Experiencez is a classic. Baxwar too. I'ma huge Swollen Members/Madchild fan as well. I forgot about Stones Throw too. I'm from Mass. So, i'm a lil biased toward the east coast.

[@djds1975]

Fantastic video again Def. Love this era. It saved hip hop!! 👌

[@ReallyShortOpinions]

Such a great documentary, you should do one on Duck Down Records Next.

[@francomagistro]

thank you for this bro i really appreciate it

[@MegaVern1]

Thanks for posting!

[@DefGoldbloom]

Thanks for watching!

[@meseone920]

Let’s not forget that Kanye west was almost signed to Rawkus as he was always around and there was a push for him to get signed. Made it all the way up to the big folks in charge and they elected to pass as they didn’t want him rapping & producing. Ultimately Ye forced his way to a signing with ROC.

[@bakeraus]

Sound Boming II is my favorite totally changed what I thought Hip Hop could be

[@titanjake8640]

very good video.....I still have the white labels of Mos Def Rawkus debut...we played it so much at my college radio station

[@freshykctube4886]

I literally threw on the Soundbombing II CD today! My highly prized CD collection includes Soundbombing II (2 copies), Internal Affairs (2 copies), Hip Hop for Respect, Lyricist Lounge Vol. 1 (2 copies), Hi-Tek - Hi-Teknology, Black Star - Respiration (Single), Ego Trip's The Big Playback. Not sure what happened to my copies of High & Mighty/Train of Thought. Definitely one of my favorite / the greatest eras in hip hop. Thanks for making this doc!

[@DefGoldbloom]

Thank you!

[@juanvelez9591]

One of the best times to be a hip hop fan.

[@davidrogafeller7464]

Cormega “You don’t want it” song revived my interest in hip hop when I was getting into different kinds of music

[@Advaitamanta]

"I got a room full of your posters and your pictures, man I like the shit you did with Rawkus too, that shit was phat"

[@AFORHTV]

Dope video! Thanks for the shoutout 🙏🏿

[@DefGoldbloom]

Thanks for the great hip hop coverage over the years!

[@knew_man]

First time I heard Mos Def was on The Roots track "Double Trouble". Then Black Star came out and blew my 20 year old mind. I already loved hip-hop but these guys changed the game for me. Great vid btw. Subbbbbed.

[@DefGoldbloom]

Thanks man!

[@sandiaYpescado]

Talib’s part was cut out of this song by Black Thought. Look it up.

[@krono5el]

Sound Bombin will always stay in rotation.

[@GOAT-HRDRZ]

So intelligent

[@Flygreensox]

Very informative piece ✌🏿

[@DefGoldbloom]

Thank you!

[@janiskrumins9979]

Thanks for the video! To be fair, I found out about Rawkus and Fat Beats catalogs in late 2000's as I grew up on more mainstream rap in early 2000s... Been on that underground and boom bap rap tip ever since.

[@OWXMUSIC]

I thought Pharoahe Monch’s getting sued for the Simon says sample clearance also added to their downfall

[@DefGoldbloom]

Definitely! Saving that for the Pharoahe video

[@OWXMUSIC]

@@DefGoldbloom I await that video!!!

[@jerevale6104]

Still miss this sound, good memories and hanging outs ❤️🇭🇷❤️🇭🇷

[@chrispbacon1167]

Just finish watching the Murdoch family documentary and it’s sad that this label was collateral damage, Rupert Murdoch bought the label to show his son he couldn’t escape the family business smh

[@cooloutac]

Wow finally someone is talking about it. It was the peak of the art form. Blackstar, companyflow, juggaknots, science of life, non phixion and the lyricist lounge and soundbombing mistakes were the blueprint. Nowadays I rely on youtube, SoundCloud and bandcamp to find artists I dig.

[@PickleballMan]

Great vid Def!! Keep it up

[@mainemanx2]

My first experience with Rawkus was Lyricist Lounge, I had a free sample tape of the whole album that I got from Cue's Hip Hop Shop. I must've played that tape over and over till the album finally came out

[@AudioPhoria]

What is the name of that intro music/song at the beginning ? I need that !!

[@DefGoldbloom]

It’s called Smooth Jazz 101 Point A by DBl-A dbl-a.bandcamp.com/track/smooth-jazz-101-point-a

[@SECRETCINEMALOSANGELES]

i was there for all the lounges at wetlands nyc ! keep it moving tip

[@sirineuantonio1622]

Mosdef black on both sides, Pharoah Monch (Simon Says) internal affairs and lyricist lounge 2, black star was also amazing... They had so many dope albums is impossible to choose one

[@ChanceNastyMuzik]

My favorite Rawkus release: a very rare 12" featuring remixes of Pharaohe Monch "Simon Says" by JL and Roni Size.

[@jermainejackson541]

Soundbombing & both Lyricist Lounge cds are my favorite from Rawkus.

[@deejaygo294]

What about the sampling issue with “Simon Says” by Pharoahe Monche? I heard that the Godzilla sample landed Rawkus in some expensive legal case with Toho records.

[@DefGoldbloom]

Definitely a part of it, touching on that in an upcoming Pharoahe video

[@kasino7132]

my introduction to black star was this album. thank you for this post.

[@PoeticProphetic]

Shabaam Sahdeeq and Last Emperor never getting their albums released were criminal

[@jamalgray8694]

NEW LAST EMPEROR ALBUM OUT NOW ENTITLED "PROGRAMME"!!!

[@fazijslive]

Great video, thank you!

[@DefGoldbloom]

Thank YOU

[@s.o.l.e2902]

The goat strikes again

[@SoulPurposeGarage]

Excellent video man, Could you please share the soundtrack? From the very first instrumental I was hypnotized and mesmerized. Beautiful aesthetics and sound!

[@DefGoldbloom]

That first track is called Smooth Jazz 101 Point A by DBl-A dbl-a.bandcamp.com/track/smooth-jazz-101-point-a

[@SoulPurposeGarage]

@@DefGoldbloom Thank you Brotha 🙏

[@da1onlynickvicious]

I was already deep deep into hip hop since I was like six or seven..I used to shoplift albums my parents wouldn’t ever let me have sat seven years old ..but Dawkins came along and gave me a new standard I could identify with even more ..it was huge to me

[@joe_black84]

This was sick! Would be cool to see something similar with Def Jux!

[@DefGoldbloom]

Def Jux is on the list!

[@joe_black84]

@@DefGoldbloom Awesome!!

[@wrek1ent]

Blackstarr is my favorite album!!! Great work sir. I just subbed to the channel!!!👍👍👍🚀🚀🚀🚀🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@DefGoldbloom]

Thank you sir!

[@AMOKIAN]

Cool video. I remember them all well.Co-Flow #1 I also liked the Kool Keith and Sir Menelik stuff, Then Mos and Talib

[@rizednb]

i loved rawkus and their dnb sister label rawkuts!

[@wardwillis9127]

Fresh! SB II is tops for me. But I had all them $hits. Minus that Hi and Mighty record which I will be tracking down directly!

[@donaldjones8853]

Dope, thanks for your insight

[@Flygreensox]

Oh what a time

[@cookandjook]

This was a great time to be a Hip Hop fan. That was the first time I heard Kweli (The Manifesto). I used to play that on the air on my radio show in college. Miss those days.